The overall aim of the SDSU Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS) IMSD program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who attain Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical, behavioral and physical sciences. We will facilitate their exposure to science, academia and careers as researchers. The program will provide 12 undergraduates with faculty mentoring to develop their research skills, customized advising, extracurricular experiences, and opportunities for communicating with engaged peers each year during the course of the project period. We have assembled an impressive and dedicated set of research mentors who will provide our students with hands-on research training, as well as a management and assessment plan that will measure and ensure program and student success. We will provide a highly personalized, interactive experience to the students so that they can become the successful science leaders of tomorrow, and thereby improve the diversity of academic scientists. Further, we provide documentation of the effects our program have had upon undergraduates and graduates. We will use such evaluative data and feedback to continue to improve. We will increase the number of underrepresented and ethnic minority students from the SDSU MBRS IMSD program who are pursuing doctoral-level academic careers. Our training program will result in students with strong, highly competitive applications for doctoral training programs such that at least 60% of our graduating undergraduate seniors will directly enter into Ph.D. programs in the biomedical, behavioral and physical sciences. To accomplish this long-term goal, we plan to (1) provide year-round mentored research experiences that will allow MBRS students to acquire excellent research and laboratory skills;and (2) develop MBRS students'critical thinking, oral and written communication skills by providing opportunities to present their research before professional audiences and to contribute to manuscripts leading to publications. We propose three secondary aims related to program evaluation: (1) to systematically measure program outcomes with mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative data collection and the establishment of a comprehensive electronic tracking database;(2) to use the data to continuously improve the program by keeping/maintaining program elements that are most effective and modifying/changing those that are least effective;and (3) to document the process of the SDSU MBRS IMSD program so that it becomes a model of accountability and success for other NIGMS mentoring programs. Impact on Public Health: Nearly all objectives listed for Healthy People 2010 contained references to health disparities. The end to health disparities is one of the top priorities for almost every federal, state, and local health agency. The SDSU MBRS IMSD proposal is designed to train talented underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These students will then be able use their scientific and leadership skills to help end health disparities through research and through policy implementation.